Slide type switches



I. GEBEL SLIDE TYPE SWITCHES Sept. 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l lmllmu I t QINVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Filed Oct. 4, 1954 I. GEBEL SLIDE TYPE SWITCHES Sept. 3, 19572 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 4, 1954 rates SLIDE TYPE SWITCHESApplication October 4, 1954, Serial No. 460,137

6 Claims. (Cl. 200-67) One of the objects of my invention is theprovision of a switch operated by an actuating lever movable in astraight line direction.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a switch of theforegoing character which is positive in its action when indexed fromone position to another.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a switchstructure of the foregoing character in which the actuating lever isaccurately located and subject to a very minimum of play in any positionof movement.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a switch structurein which the actuating means are so constructed as to be adaptable foruse with a variety of contact arrangements for opening or closing acombination of electrical circuits.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a switchwhich is compact in arrangement, simple in construction and durable inservice.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will becomeapparent from the following description when considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of aswitch assembly constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 44 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 55 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view with certain of the parts in explodedrelation and illustrating a modified arrangement of switch contactpoints;

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig.6;

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view of another modified arrangement of theswitch contact points; and

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an enlarged scale substantiallyalong line 99 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, and specifically Figs. 1 through 5, myinvention comprises a housing 10 preferably formed of sheet metal andincluding a rear wall 11 and integral, side and end walls 12 and 13respectively. The rear wall 11 is provided with integral lugs 11a bywhich the housing may be suitably attached to a desired point ofmounting. The side walls 12 are each provided with an aperture, saidapertures being in registration and each receiving a brass eyelet 14providing a bearing surface'for slidably supporting a guide rod 16. Theend walls 13 are each provided with a longitudinally extending slot 15at a lower portion thereof. One of the end walls 13 is provided with aflange 17 adjacent a respective slot, the said flange serving as abearing surface for one end of an actuating lever 18 presently to bedescribed. The lever 18 extends through the slots 15 in substantiallyparallel relation to the rear wall 11 and is provided with an extension'19 which may be engaged for manipulating the switch.

atent Suitably secured as with rivets to the lever 18 is a bracket 21having two pairs of integral opposed parallel legs 22 and 23. The legs22 are provided with registering perforations aligned with the eyelets14 in the side walls 12 which receive the guide rod 16. The said guiderod is provided with an intermediate annular groove 24 in which isengaged one end of a bow spring 26 having forked ends, the spring beingdisposed between the legs 22 as illustrated in Fig. 4, thereby lockingthe guide rod 16 to the bracket 21, so that movement of the lever 18will effect corresponding movement of the guide rod. The other pair oflegs 23 are each provided with a slot, the slots being in registrationto receive a bar member 27, one end of which is adapted to engage an endwall 13 and the other end of which is notched to engage with a forkedend of a rod 28 which passes through an aperture in the opposite endwall 13.

A compression spring 29 is on the rod 28, one end of the spring bearingon the forked end of the rod 28 and the other end of the spring bearingagainst an end wall 13. Extension lugs 31 are formed integrally with thelegs 23 of the bracket 21 and these serve to engage in slots in aninsulating member 32 resting on the said legs and secured to the bracketby deformation of the legs 31. The lever 18 is provided with a boss 33stamped near one end thereof said boss being adapted to engage the rearwall 11 so as to maintain the lever 13 in substantially parallel andspaced relation to said wall. The spring 29, in cooperation with the rod28, acts as a means for elfecting a positive drive of the lever 18, oncethe same has reached an overcenter position. Thus, a positive action ofthe switchactuating means is effected when the lever 18' is moved fromone position to another.

T he structure just described may be used with a variety of switchcontact arrangements for actuating a combination of circuits to meetvarious requirements. Any one of a plurality of plates 34 each carryingdifferently arranged electrical terminals and switch contact blades andcontact points may be mounted on the housing 10 as to be engaged by theinsulating member 32 carried on the bracket 21, which member lifts orpresses the blade arms carrying the contact points, depending on whetherthe contact points are in normally open or closed position. As isapparent, the plate 34 is formed of insulating material and is providedwith a series of slots 36 along the peripheral edges which receives thelugs 37 integral with the walls of the housing, said lugs being adaptedto be bent inwardly to engage in the slots and thereby secure the plateto the housing. The plate 34 is preferably formed with a plurality ofapertures 33, suitably arranged, some or all of which may be used in aparticular arrangement of contact points and terminals.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1-4, the plate 34 carries twospaced switch arms 39 connected to terminals 40 which extend through theapertures 33. The contact points of these arms are normally engaged withthe contact points carried on the terminals 41. It will be apparentthat, as the lever 1-5 is actuated in one direction or another, themember 32 engages with one or the other of the arms 39 to urge arespective contact out of engagement, with a corresponding stationarycontact, thus opening a circuit.

With the switch arm and contact arrangement illustrated in Figs. 15, itis re-cuired that a neutral position be provided for the switch lever 18and member 32 so that both sets of contacts may remain in closedcondition. Accord ingly, a detent 43 is struck out of the lower end 13of the housing 10, the said detent being in registering alignment withthe end of the member 27 which normally engages against the lower endwall 13 in its travel. The detent is located at the medial position ofthe lever travel so that, when the said ,leverreaches the medialposition the inem;

ber 27 engages in the detent 43 as illustrated in Fig. to hold the leverin such position until it is further actuated.

In the-arrangement illustrated in Fig. 6, the contacts are disposed innormally open position, and accordinglyas the member 32' is moved by thelever 18 from one position to another a corresponding switch arm 44 isengaged by the member 32 to urge a respective-contact carried on anintermediate arm d6 into closed position with acooperating contactcarried on a fixed terminal 47 to close a circuit;

in Fig. 8, another arrangement-of switch arms and contacts in normallyclosed disposition is illustrated. The ends of the switch arms 48, whenselectively engaged by the member 32, are caused-to separaterespectivecontacts carried on the arms from cooperating stationarycontacts and thereby open a'circuit. It will be understood that a detent43 is provided only in cases where it is required that the lever 18 snapinto an-intermediate position, as illustrated in Fig. 2. it willalso beunderstood that the switching mechanism of my invention may be used witha variety ports, a guide'rod axially reciprocable in said supports, an

operating lever fixed to said guide rod and extending V laterallythereof, said lever being arranged for straight-line reciprocablemovement, a coil spring having one end operatively connected with saidlever and extending generally laterally of said guide rod and in a planegenerally parallel to the plane or" travel of said lever, the other endof said spring being retained at a spaced point substantially mediallyof the travel of said lever, a switch-actuating element associatedwithsaid lever and movable in a straight line therewith, and arelatively stationary switch element disposed in the path of travel or"said actuating element and adapted to be actuated thereby, said leverbeing shiftable to bring the spring end operatively connected with thelever upon one side or the other of the point of retention of theopposite end of the spring, whereby the spring pressure aids in themovement of said lever to one of .its alternate points.

2; A slide type switch including an operating lever arranged forstraight-line reciprocable movement ina direction transverse to itslongitudinal axis, an elongated coil spring having one end operativelyconnected with said lever and extending generally laterally of thedirection of travel of said lever and parallel to .the plane of travelthereoflthe other end of said spring being retained at a spaced pointsubstantially medially of the travel of said lever, a switch-actuatingelement associated with said lever and movable in a straight linetherewith, and a relatively stationary switch element disposed in thepath of travel of said actuating element and adapted to be actuatedthereby, said lever being shiftable to bring the spring end operativelyconnected with the lever upon one side or the otherof the point ofretention of the opposite end of the spring, whereby the spring pressureaids in the movement of said lever to one of its alternate positions.

3. Ina slide type switch, an'operating member arranged for straight-linereciprocable movement, an actuating element carried by said member, apair of spaced relatively stationary switch elements disposed in thepath of travel of said actuaing element and adapted to of, the other endof said spring means being retained at a point substantially medially ofthe travel of said lever, said lever being shiftable to bring themovable end of the spring means upon one side or the other of the pointof retention of the opposite end of said spring means, whereby thespring pressure aids in the movement of said operating member to one ofits alternate positions.

4. In a slide type switch, a casing having opposed sides and end walls,each of said end Walls having a longitudinal slot therein with the slotsin registration :and each of said side walls having an aperture thereinwith said apertures being in registration, a guide rod axiallyreciprocable in said apertures, a lever extending through said slotstransversely of said guide rod, a bracket member fixed on said lever,means securing said bracket member to said guide rod, whereby said leverand said guide rod move simultaneously, a' member slidably supported insaid bracket in parallelism with said lever and having one end inengagement with one of said end walls, a' rod member hingedly connectedto the other end of said slidable member, the other of said end wallshaving an aperture substantially medially thereof, the other end of saidrod member being loosely received in said aperture in said other-endwall, a coil spring carried coaxially of the said rod and normallyurging said slidable member into engagement with a respective end wall,said last mentioned end wall having a detent medially thereof engageableby said slidable member to arrest movement of said lever at a medialpoint, said lever being shiftable to bring the spring end adjacent saidslidable member upon one side or the other of said medial detent,whereby the spring pressure aids in the movement of said. lever to oneof itsalternate positions.

5. In a slide type switch, a casing having oppose side and end walls,each of said end walls'having a lon-' gitudinal slot therein with theslots in registration and each of said side walls having an aperturetherein with said apertures being in registration, a guide rod axiallyreciprocable in said apertures, a lever extendingthrough said slotstransversely of said guide rod, a bracket member fixed on said lever,means securing said bracket member to said guide rod, whereby said leverand .said guide rod move simultaneously, a member slidably supported insaid bracket in parallelism with said lever and having one end inengagement with one of .said end Walls, a rod member hingedly connectedto the other end of said slidable member, the other of. said end'wallshaving an aperture substantially medially thereof, the other end of saidrod member being loosely received in said aperture in said other. endwall, .a coil spring carried coaxially of the said rod and normallyurging said slidable member into engagement witharespective end wall,said last mentioned end wall having a detent medially thereof engageableby said slidable member to arrest movement of said lever at a medialpoint, said lever being shiftable to bring the spring end adjacent saidslidable member upon one side or the other of said medial detent,whereby the spring pressure aids in the movement of said lever to one ofits alternate positions, an actuating element carried on said bracketmember, and a pair of spaced relatively stationary switch elementsdisposed in the path .of travel of said actuating element and adapted tobe alternately actuated thereby- 6. In a slide type switch, an operatingmember arranged for straight-line reciprocable movement, a wall portiondisposed in parallel relation to .the plane of movement of said member,a slidable member carried on said operating member and having one endengageable with said wall portion, said wall portion having a detentmedially thereof adapted to be engaged by said slidable member toarrestmovement of said operating member at a medial pointin its'tr'avel,a coil spring having one endengageable with the opposite end of saidslidable member, the

other end of said spring being retained relatively stationary at aspaced point in substantial alignment with said detent, said springnormally urging said slidable member into engagement with said wallportion, a switch-actuating element carried on said operating member, arelatively stationary switch element disposed in the path of travel ofsaid actuating element and adapted to be actuated thereby, saidoperating member being shiftable to bring the spring end engageable withthe slide member upon one side or the other of said detent, whereby thespring pressure aids in the movement of said operating member to one ofits alternate positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSStirling Jan. 13, Petersen May 20, Douglas June 3, Douglas Feb. 23,Cornyn Dec. 27, Gottlieb Apr. 20, Aldinger May 17, Lockett June 27,Bramming June 27,

